Chapter - 15 (15) (1/2)

At the teahouse Wei Xiaobao was chatting endlessly with Fang and Mu, two ladies; the three of them did not feel like leaving each other. Suddenly they heard Xu Tianchuan shouted, ”Good friend, you still don't want to reveal your true colors until now?” He stretched out his hand to strike the shoulder of a carriage driver on the right.

Hearing the sound of gongs, Kangxi draped his clothes over his shoulder and got up, an Imperial Bodyguard came to report that something bad had happened in the Palace of Compassionate and Peaceful, but as for the details, he was not clear. Kangxi was feeling anxious when Wei Xiaobao came in; he hurriedly asked, ”Is Empress Dowager well? What happened?”

Wei Xiaobao replied, ”The Empress Dowager told your servant to retire to my own room for the night, and to come back tomorrow to the Palace of Compassionate and Peaceful. Who would have thought ... who would have thought something bad happened in the Palace. I don't know what it is, your servant is trying to find out.”

”I am going to pay my respect to the Empress Dowager,” Kangxi said, ”You come with me.”

”Yes,” Wei Xiaobao replied.

Kangxi was very filial to the queen mother, without changing clothes, he draped a long robe over his shoulder and hurriedly went out the door. While walking quickly he asked, ”Empress Dowager wanted you to serve her, why did you come to my place?”

”Your servant heard the sound of gongs, I was concerned over Your Majesty's safety, so I rushed over,” Wei Xiaobao replied, ”I really ... really deserve to die.”

As soon as Kangxi left his bedroom, the eunuchs around him, as well as a large number of Imperial Bodyguards, followed him, more than a dozen lanterns were lighted all around them. He noticed Wei Xiaobao's clothes and hair was in a complete mess, but how could he guess that it was because Wei Xiaobao had been crawling underneath the Empress Dowager's bed? He thought it was because of his loyalty in protecting his master, his wholehearted concern over the Emperor's safety that without having enough time to change properly, he rushed to the Emperor's room; Kangxi was quite pleased and was reassured.

Walking several more zhang ahead, two Imperial Bodyguards rushed over and reported, ”The assassins broke into the Palace of Compassionate and Peaceful, they killed an eunuch and a palace maid.”

Kangxi hurriedly asked, ”Was the Empress Dowager's sacred self being disturbed?”

”Dolong Zongguan has already had the Palace of Compassionate and Peaceful surrounded tightly to protect the Empress Dowager,” the Imperial Bodyguard replied. Kangxi was slightly relieved.

In his heart, Wei Xiaobao said, ”Even if he led a hundred thousand troops and horses to protect the Palace of Compassionate and Peaceful, it's already too late.”

It was not too far from the Palace of Heavenly Purity to the Palace of Compassionate and Peaceful; they arrived after winding around the Hall of Mental Cultivation and the Taiji [Supreme Ultimate] Hall. They saw the area was as bright as daytime with lanterns and torches, row after row of several hundred Imperial Bodyguards surrounded the Palace, perhaps even a mouse would not be able to pass through, let alone any assassin. Seeing the Emperor, the Imperial Bodyguards kneeled down together. Kangxi waved his hand while quickly entered the Palace. Wei Xiaobao lifted the curtain on the door. Kangxi walked through the door and saw the chests, baskets, and all kinds of stuffs scattered around the bedroom, blood flowed everywhere, two corpses lay on the floor; he was so scared that his heart was thumping madly. ”Empress Dowager, Empress Dowager!” he called.

From the bed came the reply in low voice, ”Is it the Emperor? Don't worry, I am alright.” It was the Empress Dowager's voice.

To say that Wei Xiaobao was mildly shocked was an understatement; he thought, ”The old wh0re did not die. I was really muddleheaded, why didn't I stab my dagger onto her body? She is not dead, I may be dead soon.” Turning his head around, he was thinking of running away, but outside was fully packed with the Imperial Bodyguards; if he ran away, in less than three steps he would have been captured by them. In his fright his legs went weak, his head dizzy, he felt he was about to collapse.

Kangxi rushed toward the bed and said, ”Empress Dowager, you, Senior, were frightened. Child was not able to protect you satisfactorily, it was a grave sin indeed. Those rice bucket Imperial Bodyguards must be punished severely.”

Panting, the Empress Dowager said, ”No ... nothing. It was just an eunuch and a palace maid fighting ... they ended up killing each other. It has nothing to do with the Imperial Bodyguards.”

”Is the Empress Dowager well?” Kangxi asked, ”Has it alarmed you?”

”It hasn't!” the Empress Dowager replied, ”I was just angry looking at those servants. Emperor, you may leave; tell everybody to go away.”

Kangxi said, ”Quickly summon the imperial physician to check the Empress Dowager's pulse.” Wei Xiaobao was hiding behind him, he did not dare to comply, for fear that the Empress Dowager would see him, or recognize his voice as soon as he opened his mouth.

The Empress Dowager said, ”No, don't summon the imperial physician, I will feel better after sleeping. You don't need to move these two people's ... these two servants' bodies ... My heart is really troubled, I don't want to hear people making noise in here. Emperor, tell ... tell everybody to leave quickly.” Her voice sounded very weak, she was gasping for breath, obviously the injury she received was not light.

Kangxi was very anxious, but he did not dare to disobey. Actually, he wanted very much to investigate thoroughly why these eunuch and palace maid fight, so that the Empress Dowager was this angry. Although the two of them had died, they had committed such a big crime that their family members must be examined. However, listening to the Empress Dowager, it was obvious that she did not want this matter to be made public, so much so she did not even allow the bodies to be removed. He had no choice but to pay his respect to the Empress Dowager and withdrew from the Palace of Compassionate and Peaceful.

Having narrowly escaped from mortal danger, Wei Xiaobao's legs were still weak, holding on to the wall, he also walked out. Kangxi was busy thinking with his head down, he thought that what happened tonight in the Palace of Compassionate and Peaceful was quite major, there must be a secret in it, but the Empress Dowager clearly did not want him to get involved. Only after walking with head hung low for a good while did he finally look up and saw Wei Xiaobao was following behind him. ”The Empress Dowager wanted you to serve her,” he said, ”Why are you following me here?”

Wei Xiaobao was thinking that come daybreak he was going to run away from the Palace anyway, hence he felt there was no harm in him saying whatever came into his mind. ”The Empress Dowager has just said that her heart is really troubled, she would be angry at the sight of an eunuch. Seeing the Empress Dowager's holy self is not too well, your servant thought that it would be better to leave her so that she won't be annoyed.” Kangxi nodded.

Returning to his personal chamber at the Palace of Heavenly Purity, he waited until all the eunuchs serving him had withdrawn before saying, ”Xiao Guizi, stay here!” Wei Xiaobao complied.

Kangxi paced back and forth from east to west and back from west to east. After quite a while he asked, ”What do you think, why did that eunuch fight the palace maid to their deaths?”

”I may not be able to guess correctly,” Wei Xiaobao replied, ”There are so many palace maids and eunuchs with very bad temper in the Palace, they quarrel frequently, sometimes they fight in secret, it's just that they never let the Empress Dowager and Your Majesty know.”

Kangxi nodded. ”Go tell everybody not to mention this matter anymore to avoid provoking the Empress Dowager's anger,” he said.

”Yes!” Wei Xiaobao replied.

Kangxi said, ”You may go!”

Wei Xiaobao paid his respect, turned around and left, thinking, ”This time I leave, I will never see you again.” He turned his head around to cast another glance at Kangxi.

Kangxi was also looking at him with a smiling expression on his face. ”Come back here,” he said. Wei Xiaobao turned around and walked back. Kangxi opened a golden box by the head of his bed and took out two pieces of pastry. ”We have been busy for half a day, your tummy must be very hungry!” he said with a laugh, and then gave the pastries to him.

Wei Xiaobao received the pastries with both hands, thinking that the Empress Dowager was dangerously ruthless, she concealed a man in her bedroom; there would come a day where she would harm the Emperor, while the Emperor was kept in the dark inside a drum, he did not know anything. The Emperor treated him very well, just like a friend or a brother, if he did not make the Emperor aware of this matter and he was killed by the Empress Dowager, Wei Xiaobao thought he was really lacking yi qi. Thinking to this point, a vision appeared in his mind, in which all the muscles and bones in Kangxi's entire body were broken, his corpse lying on the ground in a miserable condition. His heart ached, he could not hold tears from flowing out of his eyes.

”What is it?” Kangxi asked with a smile, he reached out and patted Wei Xiaobao's shoulder, saying, ”You want to be with me, don't you? That's easy; wait till the Empress Dowager is feeling better in a few days, I will talk to the Empress Dowager. To be honest, I also do not want to lose you.”

Wei Xiaobao was overwhelmed with excitement; he thought, ”Tao Gong'e said that if I tell the Emperor the truth, he would unavoidably want to kill me to shut my mouth. A hero or a warrior can do anything, but has no choice but to uphold yi qi. If a real man must die, so be it.” Placing the two pieces of pastry on the table, he grabbed Kangxi's hand and with a trembling voice said, ”Xiao Xuanzi, can I call you Xiao Xuanzi again?”

Kangxi laughed and said, ”Of course you can. I have already said that whenever there's nobody else around, we will be just like in the past. You want to have a martial art contest, don't you? Come, come, come, let the horse come out.” While saying that, he flipped his hands to grab Wei Xiaobao's hands.

”There's no hurry to have a martial art contest,” Wei Xiaobao said, ”I have a secret important matter I want to tell my good friend Xiao Xuanzi. I simply cannot tell my master, the Lord of Ten Thousand Years, if His Majesty hears it, he will immediately chop my head. But Xiao Xuanzi is my friend, so it is alright.”

Kangxi did not know the gravity of this matter; in his young frame of mind, he only felt that this was all very amusing. Hurriedly he pulled Wei Xiaobao to sit side-by-side on the bed and said, ”Tell me quick, tell me quick!”

Wei Xiaobao said, ”At this moment you are Xiao Xuanzi, and not the Emperor?”

Kangxi smiled. ”Right,” he said, ”Right now I am your good friend Xiao Xuanzi, not the Emperor. I have been the Emperor all day long, without any really caring friend; there is no fun in that.”

”Alright,” Wei Xiaobao said, ”I'll tell you everything. If you want to chop my head, I can't do anything about it.”

Kangxi smiled and said, ”Why would I want to chop your head? How can a good friend kill his good friend?”

Wei Xiaobao took a very deep breath, and then said, ”I am not the real Xiao Guizi, I am not a eunuch, I killed the real Xiao Guizi.”

Kangxi was flabbergasted. ”What?” he asked.

And so Wei Xiaobao briefly narrated his family background and his origin, followed by how he was captured and brought to the Palace, how he poisoned Hai Dafu that he turned blind, how he pretended to be Xiao Guizi, how Hai Dafu taught him martial art; he explained everything in detail.

Listening to this part, Kangxi laughed and said, ”Damn it, take your pants off, let me see.”

Wei Xiaobao knew that the Emperor was astute, how could he not personally verify this kind of important matter? He took off his pants immediately.

Seeing Wei Xiaobao really had not been purified to be a eunuch, Kangxi laughed aloud and said, ”Turns out you are not a eunuch. Killing the little eunuch Xiao Guizi is not that serious. It's just that you can't live in the Palace anymore. Otherwise I would assign you to be the Chief of the Imperial Bodyguards. Although that servant Dolong's martial art is not bad, the way he handles his affairs is very muddleheaded.”

Wei Xiaobao buckled up his pants and said, ”I thank you very much for that, but I am afraid it won't work. I have heard some secrets relating to the Empress Dowager.”

”Related to the Empress Dowager?” Kangxi asked, ”What is it?” When asking that question, there was a nagging feeling in his heart that something was not right.

Wei Xiaobao clenched his teeth and started to recount what he heard that night at the Palace of Compassionate and Peaceful, when the Empress Dowager was talking to Hai Dafu. When he heard that his father, the Emperor Shunzhi, had not died but had become a Buddhist monk at the Qing Liang Temple on Mount Wutai, Kangxi's shock was not a small matter. This delight particularly had made him as if he was jolted and was giddy with excitement. He was shaking all over as he grabbed Wei Xiaobao's hands and with a trembling voice said, ”Is this ... is this really true? My Fu Huang [father emperor] ... Fu Huang is still alive?”

”It was exactly what I heard from the Empress Dowager and Hai Dafu,” Wei Xiaobao replied.

Kangxi stood up and loudly shout, ”That's ... that's marvelous! Marvelous! Xiao Guizi, come daybreak, we will go immediately to Mount Wutai to have an audience with Fu Huang, we will invite him, Senior, to return to the Palace.”

Kangxi ruled the land under the heavens, in everything he could do as he wish, his only regret in life was that his father and mother died prematurely. Sometimes in the middle of the night the memory of when his father and mother were still alive came back to him in a dream, and he could not bear but shedding some tears and weep. This moment, after listening to Wei Xiaobao, although unavoidably he had some doubt, he was so happy that his heart was turned upside down.

”I am afraid the Empress Dowager would not approve,” Wei Xiaobao said, ”All along she concealed it from you, there must be an important reason behind it.”

”That's true,” Kangxi said, ”What reason that might be?” When he first heard that his father had not died, the delight had clouded his inner feelings, but as he thought about it further, countless doubts started to emerge.

Wei Xiaobao said, ”I don't understand anything about any important matters in the Palace, I can only repeat word for word everything that the Empress Dowager and Hai Dafu were saying.”

”Yes, yes!” Kangxi said, ”Tell me quick, tell me quick!”

Hearing about how Empress Duan Jing and Empress Xiao Kang were harmed, Kangxi sprang up and shouted, ”You ... are you saying that Empress Xiao Kang was ... was murdered?”

Seeing Kangxi's expression underwent huge changes, his eyes were bulging, the muscles on his face were continuously twitching, Wei Xiaobao could not help but was scared; with a trembling voice he said, ”I ... I don't know, I was only repeating what Hai Dafu told the Empress Dowager.”

”What did they say, exactly?” Kangxi asked, ”You ... repeat the whole thing.”

Wei Xiaobao had a very good memory, when he recounted the exchange between the Empress Dowager and Hai Dafu that night, even his intonation was very much alike those two people.

Kangxi was staring blankly for half a day; he said, ”My own mother ... my own mother was unexpectedly murdered by others?”

Wei Xiaobao said, ”Empress Xiao Kang is ... is ... is your mother?”

Kangxi nodded. ”You may continue,” he said, ”Do not omit a single sentence.” His heart was broken, tears flowing down his face.

Wei Xiaobao then recounted how the murderer had used the 'Transforming Bones Soft Palm' to kill Empress Duan Jing's son, Prince Rong, and then murdered Empress Duan Jing and Consort Zhen. After Emperor Shunzhi left home to become a Buddhist monk, the Empress Dowager murdered Empress Xiao Kang. He also recounted how the undertaker who prepared Empress Duan Jing and Consort Zhen for burial had accepted Hai Dafu's order to visit the Mount Wutai and report everything to Emperor Shunzhi, how Emperor Shunzhi had sent Hai Dafu back to the Palace to make thorough investigation, and finally how the Empress Dowager and Hai Dafu had exchanged some palm strikes. He did not dare to say that it was he who killed Hai Dafu, he only said that because Hai Dafu was blind, he was not the Empress Dowager's match, so that he died under her palms.

Kangxi calmed himself down, then he asked in detail what happened that night; he often cross-examined Wei Xiaobao by repeatedly asking the same question, until he was convinced that Wei Xiaobao could not possibly make up the story. He looked up in deep thought for a while, and then asked, ”Why did you wait until today to tell me all these things?”

”The implication of this matter is too great,” Wei Xiaobao replied, ”How can I dare to make irresponsible remarks? But tomorrow I am going to run away from the Palace, I won't come back; I thought that it will be very dangerous for you to be alone in the Palace, so I can't conceal it from you anymore.”

”Why do you want to go out of the Palace?” Kangxi asked, ”Are you afraid the Empress Dowager will harm you?”

”Let me tell you this,” Wei Xiaobao said, ”The palace maid who died at the Palace of Compassionate and Peaceful tonight was a man, he was the Empress Dowager's Shixiong.”

The fact that a palace maid in the Empress Dowager's palace was actually a man was naturally unthinkable, but tonight Kangxi had just learned that his father, the late Emperor, unexpectedly was not dead, plus his own mother was murdered by the Empress Dowager, whom he had always had solemn affection to. When he heard that a palace maid was actually a man in disguise, he did not feel strange at all; besides the little eunuch in front of him turned out to be a fake eunuch. ”How do you know?” he asked.

”That man was the Empress Dowager's Shixiong?” Kangxi muttered to himself, ”From the tone of his voice, it seems that the Empress Dowager was forced to accept someone else's order, I wonder who that person might be? Could it be ... could it be that person knew there was a fake palace maid in Empress Dowager's bedroom, and thus ...”

Listening to Kangxi touching upon the subject of Empress Dowager's 'adultery', Wei Xiaobao did not dare to open his mouth, he only shook his head. It was only a moment later that he said, ”I don't have any idea.”

”Summon Dolong here,” Kangxi said.

Wei Xiaobao complied, he thought, ”Is the Emperor going to deal with the Empress Dowager? Is he going to order Dolong to arrest the old wh0re and behead her? Shall I run away as quickly as possible? Or should I stay and help him?”

Dolong was just burning with anxiety; there was accident after accident in the Palace. Although the head above his neck might not be removed, the hat above his head, and the plume above his hat, might be highly unstable. Hearing that the Emperor had summoned him, he hastily came to the Palace of Heavenly Purity.

Kangxi instructed him, ”There is nothing at the Palace of Compassionate and Peaceful, you may immediately withdraw the Imperial Bodyguards all around the Palace of Compassionate and Peaceful. The Empress Dowager says that hearing the Imperial Bodyguards standing outside, her heart is very much troubled.”

Dolong noticed that although the Emperor's expression looked rather strange, he did not say even half a word of blame. Dolong was ecstatic, he busily kowtowed and went out to transmit the order.

Kangxi's heart was still filled with all kinds of suspicion; he asked Wei Xiaobao a lot of detailed questions. After a long time, he presumed all the Imperial Bodyguards had been withdrawn. He said, ”Xiao Guizi, you and I will scout around the Palace of Compassionate and Peaceful tonight.”

”Are you going to personally scout around?” Wei Xiaobao asked.

”Exactly!” Kangxi said. First, it was a matter of great importance, he could not simply listening to a little eunuch impersonator's one sided story and suspected the queen mother who raised him up; second, 'dangerous night spying mission' was something that people who learn martial art must do. Now that an opportunity had presented itself, how could he let it off easily? He was the Emperor, he could not go out of the Palace to test his skill, being a 'nightwalker' in the Palace was better than nothing. It's just that he had already ordered the Imperial Bodyguards around the Palace of Compassionate and Peaceful to be withdrawn, so that when he did the 'night mission', it could not be compared to 'wulin professionals'.

Wei Xiaobao said, ”The Empress Dowager has already killed her Shixiong, right now she is sleeping peacefully to nurture her injuries, I am afraid we won't find anything.”

”We haven't gone scouting, how do you know we won't find anything?” Kangxi said. Immediately he changed into a casual dress, and wore a pair of thin-soled light boots, it was precisely the same attire he always wore when he had martial art contest against Wei Xiaobao. He fetched a yaodao saber[51] from the head of his bed and hung it on his waist, then they went out from the Palace of Heavenly Purity's side door.

Numerous Imperial Bodyguards and eunuchs were standing in layer upon layer on guard duty around the Palace of Heavenly Purity, as soon as they saw the Emperor, they all kneeled down hurriedly. Kangxi ordered, ”Everybody stand, no one is allowed to move randomly.” It was the Emperor's imperial edict, who would dare to disobey? Therefore, more than two hundred Imperial Bodyguards and eunuchs were standing straight on their original position, nobody dared to move.

Kangxi took Wei Xiaobao to the Palace of Compassionate and Peaceful's garden. It was very quiet, nobody was around. He crawled under the Empress Dowager's bedroom window and crouched down to listen attentively. He heard the Empress Dowager was coughing incessantly, in that instant, his feeling bubbled up like a tide, it was a mixture of sorrow, bitterness, and excitement. Hearing the Empress Dowager's coughing, he felt like he wanted to rush in and cry in her bosom, but he also wanted to wrap his fingers around her neck and interrogate her sternly: what actually happened to his father and his own queen mother? For a moment he hoped that everything Xiao Guizi told him was a lie, but he also hoped that it was entirely the truth. He did not stop shaking, all the hair on his body stood up on its end, a slight chill penetrated his bone and marrow.

The candle in the Empress Dowager's bedroom was still burning, it flickered continuously, making the paper on the window pane sometimes bright, sometimes dark. After a while, he heard the voice of a palace maid saying, ”Empress Dowager, I have finished sewing.”

”Hmm,” Empress Dowager said, ”Put this palace maid … palace maid's body inside … inside the quilt sack.”

”Yes,” the palace maid said, ”What about the eunuch's body?”

The Empress Dowager angrily said, ”I only told you to wrap the palace maid, why do you … do you care about any eunuch?”

”Yes!” the palace maid busily said. And then they heard the noise of something was dragged along the floor.

Kangxi was unable to show restraint any longer, he craned his neck to peep through the crack on the window, but all the cracks on the Empress Dowager's bedroom window had been sealed with greased lime, not even a narrow slit existed. In the former days, he had heard Wei Xiaobao's story about the trick and taboo of the nightwalker of the Jianghu, which was passed on by Mao Shiba along the way from Yangzhou to Beijing. Now, seeing the window was without any crack, which was what he had expected, immediately he moistened his finger with his saliva and lightly wet the window paper, exerting a light force on his finger, he made a tiny hole on the window without making the slightest bit of noise.

Through the hole he could see the embroidered screen on the Empress Dowager's bed was hanging low, a young palace maid was trying to stuff a body on the ground into a big cloth sack. The corpse was wearing palace maid attire, but the head was completely bald that it did not have even a single strand of hair. After stuffing the corpse into the sack, the palace maid picked up a wig from the floor. After hesitating for a moment, the palace maid also stuffed the wig into the sack; with a low voice she said, ”Empress Dowager, I have finished … finished wrapping!”

The Empress Dowager said, ”Have all the Imperial Bodyguards outside with drawn? I seem to hear some voices.”

The palace maid went to the door, looked out for a while, and then said, ”There's nobody outside.”

The Empress Dowager said, ”Drag the sack to the lotus pond, put four large rocks into the sack, use … use string … (cough, cough) to tie the sack's mouth, and then … and then … (cough, cough) push the sack into the pond.”

”Yes,” the palace maid replied, her voice trembled, obviously she was very afraid.

The Empress Dowager said, ”After you push the sack into the pond, dig up a lot of dirt and toss it on top of the sack, don't let anybody see it.”

”Yes,” the palace maid replied again, and then she dragged the sack out of the room and to the flower garden.

Kangxi thought, ”Xiao Guizi said that that palace maid was a man, most likely he was right. If there was no huge secret surrounding this matter, why must the Empress Dowager sink the corpse into the pond to erase any trace of it?” Seeing Wei Xiaobao was standing by his side, he could not refrain from reaching out to grab his hand. Both of them felt the other's hand was moist and cold.

A moment later they heard splashing noise as the sack containing the body fell into the lotus pond, followed by the sound of mud and dirt thrown into the pond. Another moment later the palace maid returned to the bedroom. Wei Xiaobao had already recognized her voice, she was Rui Chu, the little palace maid.

”Is everything done?” the Empress Dowager asked.

”Yes,” Rui Chu replied, ”Everything is done.”

The Empress Dowager said, ”There were originally two corpses in here, how come the other one suddenly disappear? If someone asks you tomorrow, how are you going to explain?”

Rui Chu said, ”Your servant … your servant does not know anything.”

”You are serving me in here, how can you not know anything?” the Empress Dowager said.

”Yes, yes!” Rui Chu said.

”What do you mean 'Yes, yes!'?” the Empress Dowager angrily said.

With a trembling voice Rui Chu said, ”Your servant saw that dead palace maid stood up, turns out she was only injured, she did not die at all. She slowly … slowly walked out. That time … that time the Empress Dowager was sleeping peacefully, your servant did not dare to alarm the Empress Dowager, I saw the palace maid walked out of the Palace of Compassionate and Peaceful, I don't know ... I don't know where she went.”

The Empress Dowager sighed and said, ”So that's what happened. Amitabha Buddha, she is not dead but walked out on her own. That's very good.”

”Exactly,” Rui Chu said, ”Thank the Heaven and thank the Earth, she is not dead.”

Kangxi and Wei Xiaobao waited a moment longer, the Empress Dowager did not speak anymore, she seemed to fall asleep; therefore, they quietly, step-by-step, left and returned to the Palace of Heavenly Purity. They saw the Imperial Bodyguards and eunuchs were still standing straight, motionless. Kangxi laughed and said, ”Everybody can move as you wish!” Although he was laughing, the sound of his laughter and his speech was very dry and heavy.

Back to his bedroom, he fixed his gaze on Wei Xiaobao and did not say anything for a long time. Suddenly tears flowing down his face, he said, ”Turns out Empress Dowager ... Empress Dowager ...” Wei Xiaobao was at a loss of what to say.

Kangxi thought for a moment longer, then he clapped his hands, two Imperial Bodyguards appeared on the bedroom door. Kangxi said in a low voice, ”I have a secret mission I want the two of you to do, but you must never leak it out. There is a large sack in the lotus pond in the garden of the Palace of Compassionate and Peaceful, I want the two of you to bring it here. The Empress Dowager is sleeping peacefully, if you two make the least bit of noise and awaken the Empress Dowager, you will lose your own heads.” The two guards bowed in compliance and left. Kangxi was still sitting on his bed, silently pondering everything over and over in his head.

A good half a day[52] later, finally the two Imperial Bodyguards, lifting a dripping wet big cloth sack, came back outside the bedroom door.

”Did you wake up the Empress Dowager?” Kangxi asked.

The two Imperial Bodyguards replied together, ”Your servants do not dare.”

Kangxi nodded. ”Bring it in!” he said. The two Imperial Bodyguards complied, they brought the cloth sack in. ”You are dismissed!” Kangxi said.

Wei Xiaobao waited until the Imperial Bodyguards had left, and then he closed and bolted the door before untying the rope on the sack's mouth and dragging the corpse out. Although the corpse's face was clean-shaven, the hair roots were clearly visible. There was a lump on the corpse's throat, and its chest was flat, undoubtedly it was a male. The muscles on this man's entire body were bulging, his knuckles were protruding, a sure sign of someone who had an extensive training in martial art. Apparently this man masquerade a palace maid in the Palace only recently, otherwise, with this kind of appearance, which was ugly even for a man, how could he masquerade as a palace maid and not being discovered?

Kangxi drew out his yaodao and cut open the man's pants. After taking a glance, his anger rose; brandishing his saber repeatedly, he chopped the part between the corpse's loins into a pulp.

Wei Xiaobao said, ”The Empress Dowager ...”

”What Empress Dowager?” Kangxi angrily said, ”That s1ut forced my Fu Huang to leave, murdered my mother, defiled the imperial court with illicit sexual relations, and did many injustice. I ... I want to cut her body into ten thousand pieces and execute her whole family unto the third generation.”

Wei Xiaobao heaved a deep sigh; immediately he felt relieved, ”The Emperor no longer recognize her as the Empress Dowager, whatever bad things that old wh0re has done, I know everything, he can't possibly kill me to shut my mouth.”

Kangxi raised his saber and hacked the corpse several more times, momentarily his indignation was difficult to endure. He was thinking of sending some Imperial Bodyguards to detain and interrogate the Empress Dowager, but then he had a second thought, ”Fu Huang is not dead, but became a monk on Mount Wutai; this is a very important matter. As soon as this information leaks out, it will create quite a sensation among the officers and common people of the world. I must not act recklessly.” Thereupon he said, ”Xiao Guizi, early tomorrow morning, I will go with you to Mount Wutai to verify the truth.”

”Yes!” Wei Xiaobao replied. He was extremely delighted. Traveling together with the Emperor, going to Mount Wutai was definitely more fun than being stifled in Beijing.

But Kangxi's knowledge, experience and understanding was far above Wei Xiaobao's, after a careful consideration, he immediately remembered that when the Emperor was going on an inspection tour, it was an extremely grand occasion, which would require at least several months of preparations. Along the way, hundreds of government officials must be prepared to welcome and protect the Emperor; it would be a lot of trouble, he could not simply go whenever he wanted to. He also remembered his own young age, he had not taken over the government for too long, the princes, dukes, and the ministers of the imperial court had not submitted to him yet; if the Empress Dowager seized the opportunity while he was out of the Capital to seize the government and usurp power, he should consider that she might oust him and set up another ruler in his place. Moreover, if his father emperor was in fact dead, or perhaps he was still alive, but was no longer on Mount Wutai, while with much fanfare he went up the mountain to seek an audience, but failed to see the old Emperor, not only he would be the laughingstock of all the people in the world, but he would be ridiculed by the later generations as well.

After thinking for a while, he shook his head and said, ”It's no good, I can't casually leave the Capital. Xiao Guizi, you must go for me.”

Wei Xiaobao was quite disappointed, ”I must go alone?” he asked.

”You must go alone,” Kangxi said, ”Wait until we investigate clearly that Fu Huang is indeed on Mount Wutai, I will fix a good way to deal with that s1ut in the Capital, then the two of us will go up the mountain together. It's a completely safe plan.”

Wei Xiaobao thought that since the Emperor already decided to deal with the Empress Dowager, he could not easily decline to go alone to Mount Wutai for an inquiry. ”Alright,” he said, ”I'll go to Mount Wutai.”

Kangxi said, ”According to our Great Qing's customs, an eunuch cannot leave the Capital unless he is accompanying me. It's good that you are actually not a court eunuch. Xiao Guizi, later on you won't be a eunuch anymore, you'd better be an Imperial Bodyguard. However, everybody in the Palace has already known you, if you suddenly cease to be an eunuch, they will feel strange. Um, I can declare to the people that in order to capture Oboi, you received my order to disguise yourself as a eunuch. Now that the prime criminal has been eliminated, naturally the masquerade cannot continue. Xiao Guizi, in the future you must study a bit, I will appoint you as a high-ranking official.”

”That's nice!” Wei Xiaobao said, ”But I have a headache as soon as I see a book. I will study a little bit less, then you can appoint me as a little bit lower-ranking official.”

Kangxi sat in front of the table, he raised his writing brush and started to write a letter to his father the Emperor: he reported clearly that he had been unfilial, that only today he learned that Fu Huang was still alive, that his heart was unusually happy, that he would go up the mountain in the next few days to respectfully welcome the Emperor's holy self back to the Palace, to again manage the ten thousand affairs of the state, while the son would also receive a parent's favor once again. But after thinking several more lines of characters, he suddenly thought, ”If this letter fell into a wrong hand, it would be greatly inappropriate. If Xiao Guizi got captured or even killed, this letter could be found by others.”

He took the sheet with half a page already written, and burned it over the flame of the candle, and then he took up his writing brush and wrote: ”Imperial edict: the Imperial Bodyguard Deputy Chief Wei Xiaobao, hereby being granted by the Emperor himself to wear Yellow Magua[53], is being sent to visit the Wutai Mountain region on official business. Various provinces' civil and military officials are ordered to give assistance. By the Emperor himself.” Finished writing, he affixed the imperial seal and handed it over to Wei Xiaobao, saying with a laugh, ”Now you are an officer, take a look, what officer are you?”

Wei Xiaobao opened his eyes wide, but all he could recognize was his own name, the character 'five' ['wu' from wutai], 'one' ['yi' from 'yidai' – region], and 'civil' ['wen' from 'wenwu' - civil and military], six characters altogether. But he only recognized the character 'wei' and 'bao' of his name simply because they came on either side of the character 'xiao', if they were standing alone, he would not have recognized them. He shook his head and said, ”I don't know what officer. It is personally appointed by Your Majesty, so it can't be a petty official, can it?”

Kangxi laughed and read the imperial order. Wei Xiaobao stuck out his tongue and said, ”It's Deputy Chief of the Imperial Bodyguards; awesome, awesome! And I get to wear the Yellow Magua?”

Kangxi smiled and said, ”Although Dolong is the Chief, he does not get to wear the Yellow Magua. If you handle this assignment well, when you return to the Palace I will promote your official position. It's just that you are still too young, if your position is too high, it would be too unseemly. We'll do it slowly.”

”High-ranking or low-ranking official, I don't care,” Wei Xiaobao said, ”As long as I can be with you frequently, it would be very good.”

Kangxi was both happy and sad, he said, ”You must be very careful, your mission is top secret, if not absolutely necessary, do not show this imperial edict to anybody. You may go now!”

Wei Xiaobao bade Kangxi farewell, he saw a streak of marble white color of the dawn on the eastern horizon. He returned to his residence, quietly opened the door and came in. Fang Yi had not slept at all. ”You are back,” she said happily.

”Everything is fine[54],” Wei Xiaobao said, ”We can leave the Palace now.”

Mu Jianping woke up in a daze, ”Shijie was very anxious,” she said, ”She was afraid you ran into danger.”

Wei Xiaobao smiled and asked, ”What about you?”

”Of course I was worried too,” Mu Jianping said, ”Are you alright?”

”I am alright, I am alright,” Wei Xiaobao replied.

They heard the noise of activities, the Palace gates were opened, one after another the civil and military officials entered the Palace to wait for the morning court. Wei Xiaobao lighted the candle on the table, he examined the two girls' attire and did not find any flaw; he laughed and said, ”The two of you are too pretty, you need to rub some dirt on your face.” Mu Jianping was somewhat reluctant, but seeing Fang Yi reached down to the ground to get some dirt and rubbed it on her face, she followed suit.

Wei Xiaobao put the three copies of sutra he snatched from under the Empress Dowager's bed into his bundle. He took the silver hairpin from his pocket and handed it over to Fang Yu, saying, ”Is this the hairpin you were looking for?”

Fang Yi blushed, she slowly held out her hand to take it, saying, ”You are willing to brave danger, it was to … was to fetch this hairpin of mine.” Her heart was touched, her eyes turned red, she turned her head to look another way.

Wei Xiaobao laughed and said, ”It's not that dangerous.” While in his heart he said, ”This is called 'good deed has its own reward'. If I did not go to get this hairpin, I would not get to wear the Yellow Magua.”

He took the two people toward the back of the imperial city and left the Palace via the Shen Wu Gate. By this time the sky had not brightened, the Imperial Bodyguards at the gate only saw Gui Gong-gong with two little eunuch companions going out of the Palace. Other than uttering some flattering words, who would dare to ask a single question?

After leaving the Palace for a dozen of zhang or so, Fang Yi turned her head around to look back at the Palace gate, all sorts of feelings welled up in her heart, everything she underwent seemed to happen a lifetime ago.

On the street, Wei Xiaobao hired three sedan chairs, he told the porters to go westward toward the Chang'an Street, where they alighted and took another small sedan chair to Tian Di Hui, about two streets away, where they finally got off. He said, ”Your Mu Palace friends have all left the city yesterday. I must consult my friends to see where we must send you.” After being bestowed the title Imperial Bodyguard Deputy Chief wearing Yellow Magua, he was conscious that he had become a grownup, moreover, he was under an imperial edict on mission to investigate an enormously important matter, suddenly he felt like he must shed the glib-tongue way he used to talk. Besides, his Shifu was not far away, he did not dare to act wantonly.

Fang Yi asked, ”You … where are you going?”

”I do not dare to stay in Beijing much longer,” Wei Xiaobao said, ”I must go, the farther the better. I must wait until the Empress Dowager is dead, all is calm, then I will dare to come back.”

”We have good friends in Shijiazhuang, Hebei,” Fang Yi said, ”If you … if you don't look down on us, why don't you … why don't you come with us to temporarily make yourself scarce?”

”That's right,” Mu Jianping said, ”You are the benefactor who saved our lives, you are one of us. If the three of us travel together, it will be somewhat more fun.” The two of them looked at him with hopeful eyes. Mu Jianping looked naïve and earnest, but Fang Yi looked shy.

If Wei Xiaobao did not bear an important mission, accompanying two beautiful women on a long journey would, by far, be more interesting, would be extremely free and unfettered; but this moment he had no choice but would have to think of a way to make an excuse. He said, ”I promised a friend to handle a very important matter for him, I cannot go to Shijiazhuang at this time. Both of you are injured, it would be inconvenient for two young ladies to hasten on with your journey. I will ask one or two reliable friends to escort you to go first. Let us rest for a while, eat until we are full, then we can talk it over slowly.”

Presently they arrived at Tian Di Hui's lodging. As soon as the brother guarding outside the lane saw that it was him, he quickly led them in. Gao Yanchao went out to greet them; he was very surprised to see he was accompanied by two little eunuchs. Wei Xiaobao whispered in his ear, ”It's the Mu family's Xiao Gongye's sister, the other one is her Shijie. I saved them out of the Palace.”

Gao Yanchao invited the two ladies to take a seat in the hall and served them tea. He pulled Wei Xiaobao to the side and said, ”Zongduozhu has left the Capital last night.”

Wei Xiaobao was delighted; first, he was most afraid Shifu would inquire about the progress of his martial art training, second, he was not sure whether he should confide with Shifu about Kangxi's order. Hearing Shifu had already left the Capital, it was as if a large rock was lifted off of his mind. But on his face he showed an utmost disappointment. He stomped his foot and said, ”This … this … this … Ay, why did Shifu have to leave so quickly?”

Gao Yanchao said, ”Zongduozhu instructed subordinate to inform Wei Xiangzhu that he, Senior, suddenly received an urgent report from Taiwan, and must hurry back there to handle the matter. Zongduozhu wanted Wei Xiangzhu to be very careful, to act as circumstances dictate. If it is inconvenient for you to stay at the Palace, you must leave the Capital to escape temporarily. He also said he wanted Wei Xiangzhu to diligently train martial art. He was wondering if the poison inside Wei Xiangzhu's body has been completely cleared up, if you feel something is not right in your body, you are to let Zongduozhu know immediately.”

”Yes,” Wei Xiaobao said, ”Shifu keeps thinking about my injury and martial art training, I am deeply grateful.” It was not a false statement, hearing in his rush Shifu was still thinking about his well-being, he was deeply touched. ”What happened in Taiwan?” he asked.

Gao Yanchao replied, ”I heard the mother and son of the Zheng family are at odds with each other; they killed a minister, probably there is an internal strife. Zongduozhu has quite a prestige, whatever the turmoil over there, he, the Senior, will be able to settle it as soon as he arrives, Wei Xiangzhu does not need to be anxious. Li Dage, Guan Fuzi, Fan Dage, Feng Dage, Priest Xuanzhen, and the others are coming with Zongduozhu. Xu San Ge and subordinate are staying in the Capital to wait for Wei Xiangzhu's orders.”

Wei Xiaobao nodded and said, ”Get someone to invite Xu San Ge over.” He thought, ”Not only the 'Eight-arm Ape' Xu Tianchuan has superior martial art skill, he is very astute, and is an old man. No one is better than him to escort these two ladies to Shijiazhuang.” He also thought, ”The mother and son in Taiwan are at odds with each other and killed people. They are no different than the Empress Dowager and the Emperor in Beijing.”

He returned to the hall to eat some noodles and dimsum with Fang and Mu, two girls. Mu Jianping ate less than half a bowl of noodles, she could not bear not to ask, ”Are you sure you can't come with us to Shijiazhuang?”

Wei Xiaobao cast a glance toward Fang Yi; she stopped her chopstick and she stopped to eat. She was looking down, but her eyes were filled with earnest hope. Wei Xiaobao could not restrain his heart from burning; he really wished he could take these two girls with him to Mount Wutai, but immediately thought better: ”What kind of important mission am I in? Taking these two injured young ladies will be a hindrance and will draw unnecessary attention, which absolutely must not happen.” Thereupon he sighed and said, ”After my business is done, I will come to Shijiazhuang to visit. Where does your friend live? What's his name?”

Fang Yi slowly lowered her head and pinched a string of noodle with her chopsticks, but did not put it in her mouth; she said in a low voice, ”That friend opened a mule and horse dealership at the Shijiazhuang's western market. He is called the 'Fast Horse' Song San [lit. Song the third].”

”Fast Horse Song San, got it,” Wei Xiaobao said, ”I will definitely come to visit you.” Suddenly a mischievous look appeared on his face, as he casually said, ”How can I not come? How can I give up this pair of 'bashful flower obstructing the moon' first wife and second wife?”

Mu Jianping laughed and said, ”You have been well-behaved only for less than half a day, and you are back to your flippant and glib-tongued way already?”

Fang Yi firmly said, ”If you really regard us as your good friends, we … we will hope for your visit every day. But if you are being frivolous and won't respect others, you … you don't need to come.”

Wei Xiaobao had bumped into a nail; he only felt the fun had been lost. ”Alright,” he said, ”If you don't like to banter, I won't say anything at all.”

Fang Yi was somewhat apologetic, she said in a gentle voice, ”Even bantering has its own propriety, its own time, and its own place. You … are you angry?”

Wei Xiaobao cheered up, he quickly said, ”No, no. As long as you are not angry, I am fine.”

Fang Yi laughed, and then gently said, ”Toward you, nobody can be really angry.”

Fang Yi was smiling so sweetly that even though her face was smeared with dirt, her beauty was very difficult to cover. Wei Xiaobao immediately felt a burst of warmth going through his body, he ate mouthful by mouthful of noodle soup and temporarily could not find anything to say.

Suddenly they heard footsteps in the courtyard, an old man walked in, Xu Tianchuan had arrived. He went straight to Wei Xiaobao and bowed to pay his respect, there was only happiness across his face, as he respectfully said, ”How are you, Senior?” He was being very discreet, seeing there were outsiders present, he did not address Wei Xiaobao as 'Wei Xiangzhu'.

Wei Xiaobao cupped his fist to return the salute and said with a laugh, ”Xu San Ge, let me present to you two friends. These two are 'Iron Back Blue Dragon' Liu Laoyezi's distinguished disciples. This one is Miss Fang, this one is Miss Mu, she is Mu Palace's Xiao Junzhu.” To Fang and Mu, two girls he said, ”This is Xu San Ge, he is acquainted with Liu Laoyezi and your family's Xiao Gongye.” He was afraid Fang and Mu, two ladies still harbor a grudge, so he quickly added, ”At first there was a tiny bit of grudge between them, but presently the resentment has been resolved.” After the three of them had exchanged propriety, he said, ”Xu San Ge, I have a favor I'd like to ask you.”

Hearing that these two women who were disguised as little eunuchs were unexpectedly important personage of the Mu Palace, Xu Tianchuan thought that since Mu Jiansheng and the others already knew Wei Xiaobao's real identity, naturally these two young ladies were also well-informed of the fact; thereupon he said, ”Whatever Wei Xiangzhu wishes to send me, subordinate will accept your orders.”

But Fang Yi and Mu Jianping did not know Wei Xiaobao's real identity. Hearing Xu Tianchuan addressed him as 'Wei Xiangzhu', they were greatly surprised.

Wei Xiaobao smiled and said, ”These two young ladies had the same fate as Wu Lishen, Wu Laoyezi, and Liu Yizhou Liu Dage, they had fallen into the enemy's hands inside the Imperial Palace; they came out just now. Have Mu Family's Xiao Gongye, Liu Yizhou Shixiong and the others left the Capital?”

Xu Tianchuan said, ”Numerous heroes of the Mu Palace have left the Capital safely yesterday. Mu Xiao Gongye also asked me to make discreet inquiry on Xiao Junzhu's whereabouts. I asked him to set his heart at ease, since he has entrusted this matter to Tian Di Hui, we will definitely find Xiao Junzhu.” While saying that, there was a hint of smile on his face.

Mu Jianping asked, ”So Liu Shige is with my Gege?” She asked that question on Fang Yi's behalf.

Xu Tianchuan replied, ”Zaixia sent them off out of town separately. Liu Shixiong went with Liu Laoyezi, they were heading south.” Fang Yi blushed as she lowered her head.

Wei Xiaobao thought, ”Hearing your sweetheart is out of danger, your heart must be in full bloom.” Little did he know that this time his guess could not be more wrong. The thought in Fang Yi's mind was: ”I gave him my words that if he saved Liu Shige's life, I would marry him and be his wife, and will be steadfast to the death. But he is a court eunuch, how can I marry him? He is very young, but can pull a hundred tricks. What's this 'Wei Xiangzhu' business anyway?”

Wei Xiaobao said, ”These two young ladies strenuously fought the Imperial Bodyguards in Qing Palace, and have suffered injuries. Presently they want to go to a friend's house in Shijiazhuang to recuperate from their wounds. I am thinking of asking Xu San Ge to accompany them.”

Xu Tianchuan was delighted, ”I ought to serve in this capacity,” he said, ”Wei Xiangzhu has given me a very good assignment. Subordinate has wronged the Mu Palace's friends, but Mu Xiao Gongye has saved my life instead, I am very ashamed in my heart. If I can accompany these two young ladies to their destination safe and sound, I can somewhat repay one out of ten thousand kindness he had shown me.”

Mu Jianping cast Xu Tianchuan a glance, what she saw was a small and thin old man with a bent waist and a hunched back, someone who could give up his ghost any minute. He talked about escorting her and her older martial sister, perhaps along the way they would have to look after him instead. Much less Wei Xiaobao did not go, so she was already quite disappointed. She was unable to restrain the disappointment from appearing on her face.

But Fang Yi said, ”In all honesty, we do not dare to trouble Xu Laoyezi's honorable self, we only asked you to hire a large carriage for us, and then we will be off on our own. Our injuries are nothing serious; you really do not need to take the trouble.”

Xu Tianchuan laughed and said, ”Miss Fang does not need to be too polite. Wei Xiangzhu has already issued the order, whatever happens I simply must accompany you. Both ladies are exceptionally skilful in martial arts, you really do not need an old man incurring your dislike on the side. This old man really does not have the ability to do this 'accompany' word. But I can run errands and do odd jobs like serving the ladies in finding an inn to stay, waiting on you for a snack during the journey, hiring carriage, buying stuffs, and do all kinds of tricks, so that along the way the ladies do not need to waste your time to deal with characters like mule dealer, carriage driver, inn waiters, shop attendants.”

Seeing she could not decline anymore, Fang Yi said, ”We don't know how to repay Xu Laoyezi's great kindness.”

Xu Tianchuan laughed aloud. ”What is there to repay?” he said, ”I am telling the two ladies the truth: my admiration towards our Wei Xiangzhu shows no bound. Don't look at his young age; in reality, he has an extensive divine ability. Not only he has saved my old life, just yesterday he helped this old man vented my anger. I was just thinking in my heart, how can I handle several matters for him to express my gratitude, who would have thought that today he is sending me on an assignment? Even if the two ladies do not allow me to accompany you, this old man will have no choice but be tactful; I will precede you on your journey to manage your trip, to open a way when you come across a mountain, to build a bridge when you meet a river, to wait upon you until you arrived at Shijiazhuang safe and sound. Let's not mention from Beijing to Shijiazhuang is only a few days journey, even if Wei Xiangzhu ordered the old man to follow the two ladies all the way to Yunnan, I will simply go, I will accompany you to your destination.”

Mu Jianping noticed that although his appearance looked wretched, his speech was actually very charming. ”What anger he helped you vent yesterday?” she asked, ”Yesterday, he … was he not in the Imperial Palace?”

Xu Tianchuan laughed and said, ”That traitor Wu Sangui has a dog official under his command called Lu Yifeng. He kidnapped the old man, beat me up and insulted me; he also took a medicated plaster and stuck it on my mouth. Luckily your esteemed older brother sent people to save me and take me out. Wei Xiangzhu promised me that he would have someone break this dog official's legs. I thought that this time Wu Sangui's dog son came to Beijing, the number of capable people he brought along must be very great. Last time that servant Lu Yifeng has suffered some trouble from me, he would know better than to go out alone, it would not be easy for us to seek revenge. Who would have known that at the Zhong De Tang [lit. Hall of Virtue Cultivation] drugstore of the western town district yesterday I met a doctor friend specializing in external injury, who mentioned that the Ping Xi Wang dog den was sending people out, carrying a dog official everywhere to find an injury doctor. I found this matter to be really strange, they went to see injury doctors one after another; a total of twenty, thirty doctors, but they did not let those doctors to treat him. They only told the doctors that this dog official was called Lu Yifeng, a muddleheaded scoundrel. Ping Xi Wang's dog son personally took a stick and broke both of his dog legs, and wanted him to suffer the pain for seven days and seven nights, without allowing him to be treated.”

Fang Yi and Mu Jianping were completely baffled; they asked Wei Xiaobao, ”Where's the logic in that?”

”That dog official has offended Xu San Ge,” Wei Xiaobao replied, ”Naturally we want him to suffer a lot of pain.”

Mu Jianping asked, ”Why did the Ping Xi Wang dog den's people bring him everywhere to let everyone know?”

”That kid Wu Yingxiong wanted people to pass the news to me,” Wei Xiaobao replied, ”I told him to break that dog official's legs, he wanted me to know that he has completed the task.”

Mu Jianping was even more puzzled, ”Why did he obey you?” she asked.

With a smile Wei Xiaobao replied, ”I was just talking rubbish, I lied to him and he believed me.”

Xu Tianchuan said, ”Originally I wanted him to die a horrible death, but then I thought that this dog official was being carried around like a prisoner being paraded through the streets, with his legs broken without he was allowed to seek treatment; it would be too easy for that servant if I killed him. Yesterday afternoon I finally saw him with my own eyes, 9 out of 10 of that dog's life has gone, his pants were rolled up, exposing his two broken legs, swelling and purple. He was so much in pain that he cried, calling on his mommy. Ladies, won't you say it gives this old man reason to be delighted?”

By this time Gao Yanchao had returned with three large hired carriages, waiting outside the door. He was also a competent member of Tian Di hui, but according to the Society's law - a violation of this law was punishable by beheading, if it was not absolutely necessary, the less they reveal their true colors the better. Therefore, he did not appear before Fang and Mu, two ladies.

Gao Yanchao complied. He assumed that since Wei Xiangzhu's good friend was killed by the Tatars, he must be a patriot in the resisting Qing movement, thereupon he personally selected a top quality coffin made of Liuzhou wood. He knew that this Wei Xiangzhu was really extravagant, from the three hundred taels given to him, he still had more than thirty taels, so other than the coffin, he also bought some burial clothes, earthen jar for the ashes, lime, silk paper, oilcloth, spirit tablet, spirit banner, ritual paper money, and everything else needed for burial; all were top quality products. He also bought several sets of men's clothing, shoes and hats for Fang and Mu, two ladies, to change into, as well as dry rations, cake and pastries for the journey. He also ordered a coroner and a lacquerer. By the time all the goods were delivered, Wei Xiaobao and the two ladies had already been asleep for four hours.

Preceding the others, Wei Xiaobao changed into an ordinary man's attire. He mused, ”I am on a mission to Mount Wutai on an imperial order, I might be very busy, how can I find time to train martial art? I must not let Shifu's martial art manual to be stolen.” Thereupon he wrapped the five copies of the sutra along with his Shifu's manual inside layer upon layer of oilcloth completely and tightly. And then he went to the kitchen to get a big handful of firewood ash and put it inside the earthen jar, thinking, ”It would be best if there was a real corpse inside the coffin, so that even if someone opens the coffin to look, there won't be any suspicion. But in such a short period of time, I can't find a bad person to kill.” Therefore, he took some water and wiped it on his eyes and face, and then with a sorrowful expression he went to the rear hall, holding the oil cloth package and the urn of ashes with both hands. He put the oil cloth package and the urn of ashes in the coffin, and then he knelt down and cried loudly.

Xu Tianchuan, Gao Yanchao, as well as Fang and Mu, two ladies, were waiting in the main hall. Seeing him kneeling down and weeping bitterly, there was no suspicion in their hearts, they thought it was definitely his good friend's ashes; they also kneeled down to pay their respects.

Wei Xiaobao had seen how the deceased' family members returning propriety during a funeral service, he scrambled to the side of the coffin and kneeled down and kowtowed to return the four people's respect. In a moment the coroner placed the silk paper, lime and other things in the coffin, and nailed the coffin's lid. The lacquerer then began painting.

Gao Yanchao asked, ”What is the patriot's honored surname and great name? It would be better if we paint his title on the coffin.”

”He ... he ... he ...” Wei Xiaobao was sobbing and sniffling continuously, while his mind was churning; he said, ”His name was Shi Guidong.” That is, Shi Song, Xiao Guizi and Rui Dong, three people's names put together; he thought, ”I killed the three of you, right now I am kowtowing to you and burning some ritual paper money for your use in the netherworld. Shouldn't your wronged ghosts stop entangling me now?”

Seeing how bitter he was crying, Mu Jianping tried to console him, ”Manchurian Qing Tatars killed our good friends; there will come a day we will kill them all, to avenge and wipe out the grudge of our good friends.”

Still crying, Wei Xiaobao said, ”Naturally the Tatars must be killed, but this good friend's enmity absolutely cannot be avenged.”